Chapter 83

"Vincent, have you lost your mind? Put me down now!" Hannah flailed wildly, fists pounding against Vincent's back.

But to Vincent, the blows barely made a difference. "I won't."

Vincent's face was expressionless as he cast a cool glance at Felix and then carried Hannah out of the office and straight down the corridor, without letting go for a second, not even in the elevator.

Curious whispers started to fill the air as Nova Tech's employees tried to figure out what kind of chaos had just erupted in Felix's office. Their curiosity only grew when they spotted Felix marching after the duo.

All the way to the parking garage, Hannah kept struggling, and one of her heels slipped off along the way.When they reached the car, Vincent opened the passenger door with a single motion and shoved her into the seat.

Her knee hit the gearshift hard. Before she could even make sense of it, the central locking clicked into place.

She made a desperate grab for the window switch, but Vincent was faster. He caught her by the shoulders and pressed her back into the seat.

"Sit still." With his hand firm against her lower back, his gaze was sharp and unyielding.

Right then, Brinley and the rest of the group came downstairs and spotted Vincent bent over Hannah.From a distance, the scene looked too intimate.

Brinley managed a tight smile as she stepped forward. "Vincent, are we heading back now?"

He turned just enough and answered,"Yes."

"I'll ride with you then." Brinley moved to open the back door, but Vincent blocked her path. He lowered his voice and said, "Clive will drive you back to the office."

Still reeling from everything that had just happened, Clive quickly straightened up and replied, "Alright."

Brinley stood frozen in place,stunned.

Without sparing her another glance, Vincent walked around the car, climbed into the driver's seat, and pulled the door shut.

That was when Felix finally spotted Hannah in the passenger seat and started toward her, ready to check on her.Before he could even get close, Vincent pulled away and the car sped out of sight.

Felix remained rooted in place, his hands trembling just a little.

A wave of resentment toward Hannah flared in Brinley's chest as she pressed her lips together. Once again,Hannah had wrecked her plans. And Vincent-no matter how angry he might be-he should've prioritized her.

Trying to mask her irritation, Brinley turned to Felix. With a practiced motion, she held out a business card."If you ever change your mind, Mr. Wade, you can always get in touch with me."

Felix snapped back to reality and didn't take her business card. His voice was cool. "That won't be necessary."

Brinley awkwardly withdrew her hand, silently cursing how impossible it was to sway this man. His firm tone made it obvious that acquiring Nova Tech was off the table. She'd have to rethink her strategy.

After a moment's thought, she offered him a warning, her smile forced. "Mr. Wade, just be careful. Don't let Hannah pull the wool over your eyes."

Felix turned, and a sharp edge crept into his voice. "What are you trying to get at?"

Feigning concern, Brinley softened her voice. "Honestly, I'm just looking out for you. Hannah's been awfully close with Mr. Jones, and now she's tangled up with you. I'd just hate to see you used."

In Brinley's mind, it was clear. Hannah was hedging her bets, getting close to Felix even before her divorce was settled.Letting Hannah succeed wasn't an option.

Felix didn't react the way Brinley had expected. Instead, he gave a dry, almost amused laugh. "You're overthinking it." If only Hannah had hidden feelings for him, that would've been a good thing. But she didn't.Not even close.

Unwilling to let it go, Brinley added, "I simply don't want you to be fooled."

"Spare me your tricks," Felix said, his voice ice cold. "Jumping to conclusions about people you barely know only tells me what kind of person you are. I'm relieved I won't be doing business with someone like you."

Stunned, Brinley stood in silence, her nails digging sharply into her palms.

"Have a good day," Felix remarked, his voice dry and distant. He turned around and walked away, not sparing her so much as a backward glance.